Opera Columbus and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra have announced that they will collaborate for the first time to produce a new historically based chamber opera titled “The Flood” – a story of “loss, human tragedy and redemption set in Columbus.”

“The Flood” is inspired by the Ohio Flood of 1913, and chronicles the devastation caused by the natural disaster in the small neighborhood of Franklinton, and its lasting impact across generations.

Opera Columbus General and Artistic Director Peggy Kriha Dye said in a press statement, “Our primary goal for ‘The Flood’ is to create an outstanding operatic work that explores the history of Columbus, engaging and reflecting the community Opera Columbus and ProMusica are proud to call home.”

The creative team includes co-producers Peggy Kriha Dye and Janet Chen, composer Korine Fujiwara, librettist and director Stephen Wadsworth, and conductor Steven Osgood.

Production of “The Flood” is made possible in part by a major grant from The Columbus Foundation’s Arts Innovation Fund, which aims to support local performing arts groups while featuring and sharing elements of the local community with the public. Two separate grants from OPERA America also greatly contributed to the development of this new production.

The opera is set to premiere on Feb. 8, 2019 at the Southern Theatre.